Rules Proposal:
"Squash Doubles Order: Independent Match"
rev A, 2008-11-18, by Rules Officer Hans Mullamaa
Original proposer: Hans Mullamaa
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Revision History:
rev A, 2008-11-18: First version.
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1) Background

There are two general ideas behind this proposal:

a) The Racketlon Rules - i.e. our rules on "sport level" (as opposed to rules on "tournament level" containing rules for e.g. FIR sanctioned events) should focus on regulating an "independent" match, i.e. a match that does not take place within the context of a tournament and for which no specific ranking is relevant.

b) Then, within the Racketlon Rules we can allow for tournaments or tours to introduce special regulations that are valid within their special contexts (e.g. a requirement saying that a certain order must be valid for the whole duration of a tournament/tour or a specific ranking must be used).

Specifically, regarding the player order in squash doubles the following problems in the present rules can be identified regarding the above:

a) Our rules are at present a little vague on the order for an independent match.

b) At present specific reference to the world ranking is made as the tool to be used to decide the order - although other rankings obviously might be more relevant to the match. E.g. for a small local tournament where most of the participants do not travel on the world tour the local ranking should, of course, be more relevant.

2) Proposal in Short

1) Order for an independent match
Existing rules specify for an independent match that the player order shall be chosen by each pair - but they do not specify exactly how these choices shall be made.

It is hereby proposed that:
The team that starts to serve first decides which of its two players shall start. Then the receiving team gets the advantage to make their choice knowing what the other team has chosen.

This rule is consistent with the other three sports. (It is the team that starts serving that, in each set, decides which of the two players shall start serving. Likewise, it is the receiving side that decides which of the two players starts receiving. The receiving side may make their choice after they know who will serve.)

2) Order for matches in tournaments
Where the present rules make specific reference to the world ranking to be used to define the order we should open up for tournaments to specify their own, more relevant rankings.  (E.g. a local ranking for a local tournament or a national ranking for a tournament on the national level.)


3) Consequence for the Rules Document

3.1) Existing Rule

3.3 The Squash Set.
3.3.1 Switch players at 11.
The squash is played as one singles set to 21 in two parts. In the first part player A1 (from team A) faces player B1 (from team B). When 11 is reached the players are switched so that A2 faces B2 in the second part of the set. The scoring is kept at the switch so that A2 takes over A1's score while B2 takes over B1's score. The serving is handled in the same continuous way (e.g: A2 starts serving from the left if his partner (A1) served from the right in the previous point).

3.3.2 Player Order in Doubles - Except Mixed
a) Definition.
The specific ranking referred to below is the FIR Racketlon World Singles Ranking.

b) Highest ranked first.
If both players in a pair have a ranking the player with the highest ranking has to play first. If only one of the players have a ranking this player counts as the highest ranked.

c) No ranking, then choose.
In the case when both players in the pair do not have a ranking, then the pair will decide themselves who plays first. However, if the match is played in the context of a tournament the order must be the same throughout the tournament.

d) Wrong order penalised by 0-21.
If any of the pairs violates the ordering rules specified in this paragraph (3.3.2) the offending pair will automatically lose the squash to zero and the opponents will register a win with the full allocation of points.

3.3.3 Player Order in Mixed Doubles; Ladies first.
In Mixed Doubles, the women play each other first and then the men take over to finish the set.

3.2) Wording Proposed by Rules Officer (if proposal is accepted)

The following is designed to replace paragraph 3.3.2 in the text above.

3.3.2 Player Order in Doubles - Except Mixed.
a) Definition. Independent and Contextual Doubles Matches.
By "Independent" doubles match below is meant a doubles match that does not take place within the context of a tournament, a tour or any other connected series of matches. By "contextual" doubles match is meant the opposite; i.e. a match that takes place within such a "context".

3.3.2.1 Player Order in an Independent Doubles Match.
Each pair chooses themselves which player plays first. The pair that does not serve first has the advantage to be able to wait with their choice until they know about their opponents' choice.

3.3.2.2 Player Order in a Contextual Doubles Match.
a) Organisers have the option to deviate from rule 3.3.2.1 and, instead, specify a certain ranking (e.g. local, national or international) that shall then be used to decide the order according to b-d below. 

b) Highest ranked first.
If both players in a pair have a ranking the player with the highest ranking has to play first. If only one of the players have a ranking this player counts as the highest ranked.

c) No ranking, then choose.
In the case when both players in the pair do not have a ranking, then the pair will decide themselves who plays first. However, if the match is played in the context of a tournament the order must be the same throughout the tournament.

d) Wrong order penalised by 0-21.
If any of the pairs violates the ordering rules specified in this paragraph (3.3.2) the offending pair will automatically lose the squash to zero and the opponents will register a win with the full allocation of points.

e) Same Order Within FIR Tournaments During 2009.
Specifically, it is a requirement in all world ranking tournaments in 2009 sanctioned by the FIR that players choose an order before the tournament that is kept throughout the tournament. (This rule is temporarily provided here for clarity while awaiting its introduction into FIR Tournament Regulations.)

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Attachment:
Comments by Rules Officer
rev B, 2009-01-01, by acting Rules Officer Hans Mullamaa
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Revision History:
revA, 2008-11-18: First version.
rev B, 2009-01-01: Added a record of the final AGM decision.
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1) Aspects
TBD

2) Proposed Voting Procedure
Simple "Yes" or "No" vote.

3) Recommendation by Rules Officer
Yes. This proposal does not introduce any major changes in practice. But it improves the structure of the rules document. Besides that it does take care of a vagueness in the existing rules as regards an independent doubles match - in an elegant way consistent with the other three sports. In addition, it opens up for tournament organisers to use other more relevant rankings than the world ranking.

4) AGM Decision (According to Lennart Eklundh, acting Rules Officer at the AGM)
Proposal REJECTED. (This proposal was not considered by the AGM since it was implicitly rejected through the approval of proposal 1 "Let them Choose!".)

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